Politco keeps telling me that I've already viewed a few articles and is demanding payment to see the linked article. Anyone else have this issue, or does everyone secretly have a Politico account? I don't really go there except for Fark.

I look forward to the blood-letting. My hope is these groups dig in and fight until there is only one standing and don't reach some kind of compromise (not that I'm really concerned with these conservatives finding out what compromise is at this point in the game) that allows for the existence of mildly disgruntled social nutters and teabaggers to remain in the Republican Party. No, I don't want begrudging acceptance of political reality, I want a WAR.

Somacandra:Politco keeps telling me that I've already viewed a few articles and is demanding payment to see the linked article. Anyone else have this issue, or does everyone secretly have a Politico account? I don't really go there except for Fark.

Clear your cookies and cache, use an incognito/private window and you won't have that problem.

Somacandra:Politco keeps telling me that I've already viewed a few articles and is demanding payment to see the linked article. Anyone else have this issue, or does everyone secretly have a Politico account? I don't really go there except for Fark.

The role of money in politics is overblown. Money is necessary but the idea that the person with the biggest war chest wins is false. Having a good candidate with an effective message who has the organizing skills to get out the vote is more important than tens of millions of dollars.

vpb:The money will win. Crazy doesn't have the staying power that greed has.

Except that the Tea Party has all of the grass roots support that the traditional big business-backed candidates don't have. That's why the 'baggers have stuck around so long. They have more than just the Koch's writing them checks.

shower_in_my_socks:vpb: The money will win. Crazy doesn't have the staying power that greed has.

Except that the Tea Party has all of the grass roots support that the traditional big business-backed candidates don't have. That's why the 'baggers have stuck around so long. They have more than just the Koch's writing them checks.

worlddan:The role of money in politics is overblown. Money is necessary but the idea that the person with the biggest war chest wins is false. Having a good candidate with an effective message who has the organizing skills to get out the vote is more important than tens of millions of dollars.

The fact that the biggest pile of cash doesn't always win does not change the fact that big money corrodes and corrupts politics. It means that you need deep pockets behind you to run. You must have superwealthy "sponsors."

shower_in_my_socks:vpb: The money will win. Crazy doesn't have the staying power that greed has.

Except that the Tea Party has all of the grass roots support that the traditional big business-backed candidates don't have. That's why the 'baggers have stuck around so long. They have more than just the Koch's writing them checks.

No, they don't. The Tea Party will cease to exist as soon as their powerful friends realize the money has dried up at which time they'll take their place among the small right wing fringe rural/southern groups.

shastacola:shower_in_my_socks: vpb: The money will win. Crazy doesn't have the staying power that greed has.

Except that the Tea Party has all of the grass roots support that the traditional big business-backed candidates don't have. That's why the 'baggers have stuck around so long. They have more than just the Koch's writing them checks.

No, they don't. The Tea Party will cease to exist as soon as their powerful friends realize the money has dried up at which time they'll take their place among the small right wing fringe rural/southern groups.

That'll be around January 20th, 2017. Unless another black democrat gets elected in 2016. In which case, it will continue to be a grassroots movement that deserves attention instead of a fringe group of mentally ill racists.

Weatherkiss:shastacola: shower_in_my_socks: vpb: The money will win. Crazy doesn't have the staying power that greed has.

Except that the Tea Party has all of the grass roots support that the traditional big business-backed candidates don't have. That's why the 'baggers have stuck around so long. They have more than just the Koch's writing them checks.

No, they don't. The Tea Party will cease to exist as soon as their powerful friends realize the money has dried up at which time they'll take their place among the small right wing fringe rural/southern groups.

That'll be around January 20th, 2017. Unless another black democrat gets elected in 2016. In which case, it will continue to be a grassroots movement that deserves attention instead of a fringe group of mentally ill racists.

So... in the battle of the Super PACs the Dems have a couple of umbrella groups who look after all the Dem House races with very little in-fighting, lowered overhead and skim off by lawyers and the like.

Meanwhile over on the GOP side you've got internecine warfare between a whole bunch of little groups (some of whom have only one donor but are named "Americans for...") some advocating for ideological purity and some for electability. Teatards and old school GOP fighting it out for the brand name of RepublicanTM.

The "establishment" Republicans don't scare me. They still suck, but at least their motives are very clear and rational, if overwhelmingly greedy and self-serving.

The Tea Party does scare me; not in the sense that I feel they would ever gain enough political clout to permanently shift and alter policy, but the rank-and-file grassroots members are so goddamn ridiculous that constantly being able to throw out these derpy candidates only continues to give the derpy a public voice. Their mere presence only further distorts whatever worthwhile political discourse still exists.

worlddan:The role of money in politics is overblown. Money is necessary but the idea that the person with the biggest war chest wins is false. Having a good candidate with an effective message who has the organizing skills to get out the vote is more important than tens of millions of dollars.

Looks like someone hasn't asked their nearest Republican congressman which corporation has a cushy, six-to-seven-figure job lined up for them after congress!

You have to be willfully blind or completely idealistic not to see the overriding influence of money in US politics.

Declarations of victory keep coming yet the GOP keeps sticking around stinking up the place.

The whole, "we'll be primaried," argument doesn't make any sense to me.

The teabaggers are relevant, no denying. Their GOTV efforts and ground game are pretty much all the Republicans still have, since the nobility doesn't do grunt labor very well. And without that effort most of the evangelicals tend to just stay home unless a particularly "godly" nutjob is running.

But if you win the primary, and the big spenders still generally do, most of those would-be teabagger votes end up going for you instead of just not voting at all in the general.

The teabaggers are 30% of your vote, just spend enough knocking on doors to get 40% of the rest to show up for the primary and you are good to go.